Paul Lerner and the Heart of Assessment: Discussion of Articles by Handler,Finn, Leichtman,Husain, and Smith

An extension of the family drawing technique is described, in which a drawing is obtained from one or both parents, as well as from the child. Comparison of the parental drawing or drawings with the child's drawing usually provides clues to important aspects of the family dynamics. The productiveness of the technique varies from one case to another, but in general it has been found to have a high degree of clinical utility. Three illustrative cases are presented.